Method of assembling tubular-steel-spoked automobile wheels



April 3, 1928.

W. KISTLER METHOD OF ASSEMBLING TABULAR STEEL SPOKED AUTOMOBILE WHEELSFiled Aug. 50, 1924 lnuenzor. 4 Wm. Misf/er l mented Apr. 3, 1928lVILIiIAM KISTLEE, OF CHATHAM, ONTARIO, CANADA.

METHOD or nssnmsnrne- TUBULAB-STEEL-SPOKED AUTOMOB ILE WHEELS.

Application filed A'ugust 30, 1924.. Serial No. 735,150.

My invention relates to improvements in methods of assembling tubularsteel spoked automobile wheels end the object of the inveution is todevise :1. method which will do :i-wuyrvith the neces y or" welding thetubular spokes to the felloc and to the hub.

s. :urther object is to devise a method which will enable 2. wheel to beconstructed which is suliiciently trong to withstand all road conditionsbut which will he sutlicicntly resilient to permit tempe y distortionout oi its plane due to trznuverse shocks or pressure and which willautomatically restore itself to its initial form on the removal of suchshock or pressure. i

My invention consists of the i'uethod of assembly hereinafter moreperticularly. dc-

scribed and illustrated in the. zrccom mnying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of the wheel F 2 is an enlargedsectional through the line 22 Figure l.

3 is a cross sectional view on the line El3 Figure l, and M Fig. l is asectional view through the spoke taken on the line -li Figure 1.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in thedifferent views.

1 is the wheel hub provided withe plurality of radially extending hollowbosses 2, the interior of each boss terminating in a tapered face 3communicating with an orificc 4: which extends throughi rom the interiorof the boss into the interior of the hub. 5 are the tubular steelspokes, their inner or hub ends upset to constitute the tapered feet 6of corresponding taper to the taper of the face The outerends '7 ot the'tubular spokes 5 are swelled. out so ss to be of .x'er diameter llllilthe cross sectional dithe spokes. P is the steel felloe V iew stampedwith such act 7 of thcspokes 5. method oi" assembly is as follows takethe hub 1 end apply to the hollow ses 2 tlicreoi the inner en ds or" thespokes '3 so that the tapered feet 6 th reef engage he faces 3 of theinterior of such bosses, munting the hub and spokes on a spider or otherdevice which will hold the spokes and hub in the required position.

The internal diameter of the felloe 8 is of constructed according to mymethod.

slightly less diameter than the distance 'between the outer extremitiesof the corresponding spokes 5 and in order to apply the ielloe to suchspokes I heart it until. the metal expands sufficiently to permit thefclloe to he slipped over the outer ends of the spokes into its requiredcentred position. By means of a press I then stamp the inwardly eX-tcnding spigots 9 out 01 the faces of the felloe so that they engage theinterior walls of the ends 7 of such spokes.

As the felloe cools and the metal therein contracts it will be apparentthat the spokes 5 will be subjected thereby to compression stresses withthe result that an exceedingly strong wheel will be constituted\VltllOlll] the necessity of having to weld the felloc to the spokes orthe spokes to, the hub. Thus. it

' will be seen that I hove-devised. a method whichin addition toachieving the menu'- fucture of an exceedingly. strong wheel can becarried out with great simplicity and in which the resultant wheel willbe exceedingly flexible to transverse pressure or shocks, thus obviatingthe strain on the axles on 'which'the wheels are mounted that wouldoccur if the wheels were rigid.

What I claim as my invention is:

A method of assembling tubular steel spoked automobile wheels which.consists in providing the spoke bosses of a hub with hollow interiorsheving tapered bottoms into which are inserted the -,corrc ri-ipondinglytapered upset inner ends of the spokes, the outer ends of thespokcshaving been prcviously swelled out into bell-like form, then applying tothe outer ends of the spokes a heated and consequently expanded steelfelloe which at normal temperatures is of an internal diameter slightlyless than the dis tsnce between the outer ends of the opposed spokes, Iand subsequently stamping out of the felloe inwardly extending taperingspigots engzigingthc interior walls of the swelled out outer ends of thespokes, the heated felloe upon cooling, contracting to its above normaldiameter whereby the spokes are placed under stresses, said contraction.of the felloc on cooling forcing the tapered inner ends of the. spokesinto their centred position in enga gement with the-tapered bottoms ofh01 10w interiors of the hub.

- WILLIAM KISTLER.

compression

